Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1254482
P E N N S T A T E F O O T B A L L >> Citing highlight games against Iowa, Buffalo and Ohio State, Mustipher set a personal best with seven tackles, a TFL and a forced fumble in the win at Kinnick Stadium. In the loss to the Buck- eyes, he notched five stops. Still, Mustipher noted that his pass rush has to improve if he hopes to create the kind of dis- ruption in the trenches that Penn State's standout defen- sive linemen have been known for in recent seasons. The PFF numbers show why that's a priority. His pass rush grade – 64.1 – is by far his lowest, well below his grades for run de- fense (78.0), tackling (83.6) and overall defense (74.6). Adjusting to the abrupt changes in his daily routine and football practice sched- ule like everyone else, Mustipher hasn't allowed the coronavirus to stop his pur- suit of improvement. "Right now, I'm concentrating on get- ting my body to where I'm an explosive, mobile defensive tackle, where I can be a three-down guy where I'm in on every pass rush situation as well as the running downs," Mustipher said. "That's my main focus right now because I feel as though I could have been better in every pass rush situation to help not only the other D- tackles, but also the ends, and just the de- fense as a whole. If you can have a dominant defensive tackle who can rush the passer and wreak havoc on every down, then your defense is that much better, and that's my goal in this next sea- son." Finishing the season with 436 total snaps in 13 games, Mustipher's usage was split almost evenly between defending the run and the pass. With Robert Windsor headed off to the NFL after being chosen in the sixth round by Indianapolis, the Nittany Lions will be counting on Mustipher to have an even bigger presence moving forward. Listed this spring as the projected starter on the team's official depth chart, oppo- site fifth-year senior Antonio Shelton, he is penciled in as a three-technique defensive tackle. But given the quality of the talent pool, which includes the likes of Judge Culpepper and Hakeem Bea- mon, Mustipher isn't assuming any- thing. OBSTACLE COURSE Mustipher pressures Pitt quarterback Kenny Pick- ett during Penn State's victory over the Panthers last season at Beaver Stadium. One of the Big Ten's top returning de- fensive tackles, Mustipher said he wants to improve his pass rushing ability. Photo by Steve Manuel